


Simply Keith

by melodicmermaid



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Florist AU, Gen, Keithtober 2018, M/M, Making Out, Mentioned Character Death, Minor Character Death, there's a decent amount of angst here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-23 17:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16163135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodicmermaid/pseuds/melodicmermaid
Summary: A collection of oneshots following the prompts fromKeithtober2k18.Ships may vary and some prompts may not be written romantically, but each chapter will be clearly labeled with a pairing.





	1. Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets lost in thought and Shiro interrupts him. Takes place during the paladins' voyage back to Earth.
> 
> [Shiro/Keith]

When Keith was expelled from the Garrison, he never thought he’d find his way into space. Because of the faith Shiro had placed in him, it was his only ticket to becoming an astronaut. Even living in the desert on his own, he felt connected to the stars. He knew he had to find a way to get there, but there likely wasn’t any legal way for him to do it anymore.

Shiro’s ex-boyfriend had wanted to argue with the administration over Keith’s removal from the institute, but Keith had just screamed and cursed at him. He didn’t want the man’s pity. He didn’t want to be an outlet for Adam to use to make himself feel less guilty over Shiro’s announced death.

As fate would have it, Keith found his way into space after Shiro somehow made it back to Earth. _Could you imagine how that must have felt?_ Shiro finally made it home after being lost in space for so long, only to end up traveling to a galaxy even further away. The entire group was unlikely, but Keith wouldn’t have them any other way. Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Coran, and even Lance were all people Keith considered to be his family, even though he had decided to dedicate a huge portion of his time to the Blade of Marmora.

Now, after over a year at war with an alien empire set on universal domination, they were finally “heading home.” Keith wouldn’t consider Earth his home. He had nothing to go back to. They were only going because they needed Sam Holt in order to construct a new Castle of Lions, but everyone else seemed so happy for a chance to see their families again.

Keith was only afraid of losing his.

“Hey, Keith. You awake?” Shiro stepped into the cockpit of the Black Lion.

“Yeah. Not really easy to sleep while we’re moving like this.”

“I know what you mean. Mind if I join you out here?” Keith nodded, turning his attention back to the emptiness in front of him. Traveling through space without any sort of urgency was rough. Well, the situation was fairly urgent, but they didn’t have the power to fly any faster than this. For the first hour it was kinda relaxing. Space was really pretty to look at when you aren’t focused on fighting in a war. After days of traveling, however, it started to feel almost sad, in a way. The universe is huge, but everything is so spread out. The space between galaxies, or even just planets, is so vast and so much of just… nothing.

“You know, staring out there doesn’t make the time go by any faster,” Shiro broke the silence.

“What else is there to do?”

“Talk to me.”

"About?” Keith raised an eyebrow.

“Anything.”

Keith blinked. Anything? Picking from “anything” was virtually impossible.

“Lion got your tongue?” Shiro joked, definitely way too proudly.

“I could punch you.”

“There’s the Keith I know.”

He froze.

_There’s the Keith I remember._

“Shiro,” he swallowed, “do you… do you remember when we fought? When I fought your clone?”

“Bits and pieces.”

“He said that. ‘There’s the Keith I remember,’” Keith imitated the tone of voice the clone had taken with him.

“Oh.”

Shiro took a seat, gently, on top of one of the surfaces beside Keith. They avoided each other’s gaze, neither one really sure how to keep talking. Years ago, before the Kerberos mission, Shiro would have known exactly what to say.

“I love you, too, you know,” Shiro decided on. Keith didn’t say anything. They sat in silence for what felt like a lifetime to them both.

“I don’t love you like a brother. I’m… I’m in love with you,” Keith responded.

“I know.”

Keith cried. Shiro started hardly a tick later.

Space had taken everything from Shiro. It took away Adam. It took away his arm. It even took away his life. But space had given everything to Keith. It gave him a purpose. It gave him a family.

Space gave him Shiro.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy moly I'm actually writing something again. 
> 
> A huge shout out to [Keithtober2k18](https://keithtober2k18.tumblr.com/) for the fantastic prompt list and for inspiring me to pick up writing again. I'm definitely a bit rusty, but I've missed it and what better way to get back into it than to write for the best boy <3


	2. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's father died on the job. Where does that leave Keith?
> 
> [Not romantic / No ship]

Keith jolted awake that night, startled by a loud knocking at the front door of his house. “Ughhhh,” he groaned, rubbing his eyes as he made his way out of his bedroom with his favorite stuffed lion in hand. 

 _Did dad forget his keys?_ The door to his dad’s room was open, so Keith knew he wasn’t home yet. Plus, surely he would have heard movement. There’s no way anyone could sleep through someone continuously pounding on their door in the middle of the night.

Instead of his dad, however, Keith was greeted by a police officer. He vaguely recognized her, probably just from going out and about with his dad. He was a firefighter, after all, so obviously that meant he knew a lot of the police officers in town.

“Hey there. Sorry to wake you, kiddo. Keith, right?” she smiled at him, but he could tell it wasn’t a happy one. There was something off about it, though Keith couldn’t place his finger on it. He was too tired for this.

“Yeah. I’m Keith. Where’s my dad?”

“Sweetheart, you’re father has to spend the night in the hospital. The nurses and doctors are very hopeful, but he needs to be in their care for a while. My husband and I are good friends of his and he doesn’t want you to worry or be alone tomorrow.”

“Can I see him?”

“Not tonight, I’m afraid. We can see him first thing in the morning.”

“Okay…”

Keith and the officer, Natalia, packed him a quick overnight bag and headed to her apartment. Her husband, Roy, had set up their pull-out couch for him. Keith didn’t really register anything they said to him after he set his things down and got into his bed for the night. He cuddled close to his stuffed lion and fell asleep almost instantly.

 

* * *

 

This time, Keith woke up with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Natalia had told him his dad would be alright, but now he wasn’t so sure he believed her. He clutched his lion tightly and got out of bed, looking for the two of them.

 

"How do I tell him?” he heard Natalia ask in a hushed voice, presumably to her husband.

“Um…” Keith spoke up.

“Oh, Keith! You’re awake!” she jumped slightly, but gave him the same smile that she'd given him last night.

_Pity. She's pitying me._

"How... how do you tell me what?" Keith asked, looking down. Natalia frowned, walking close to him and kneeling down to his height.

"Keith... I'm so, so sorry," she paused and took a breath, "They did everything they could, but... I'm so sorry, Keith, they couldn't save your dad."

Everything from that point on was a blur. Keith's vision was blurry from the constant tears he shed. He lost the only family he had. He was sure he had grandparents somewhere, but dad never talked about them or to them.

Natalia and Roy let him stay with them until the funeral.

"You're dad was so brave!"

"He died a hero. Try to keep your chin up, kid."

No one's words made him feel any better, so he tuned everyone out. The funeral was uncomfortable. He wanted to be there, but he didn't want so many people he either didn't know or just barely recognized talking to him. He just wanted to sit in silence and sit with his dad.

After that, he met another lady. He didn't care to learn her name. He packed up all the things he could and went with her to a home for other kids who didn't have anywhere else to go. "Foster care" is what they called it. He lived with a lot of different families, but he didn't try to stay on his best behavior and no one wanted a problem child.

 

* * *

 

Keith eventually met Takashi Shirogane at an event his school was hosting to promote the Galaxy Garrison. All the other kids were beyond excited, but Keith didn't know what it meant and didn't really care to find out. That guy (Shiro? Is that was his teacher called him?) made him try the game they set up, and to his surprise, he kind of enjoyed it. Not to mention, he ended up with the best score in his class. Shiro asked his teacher about him, and he wasn't even on the list of candidates. He finally had something he could devote his time to and be good at and they wouldn't even let him have a chance.

So Keith did the only thing he could think to do to deal with his frustration. He ran into Shiro's car and sped off.

_I'll show you a discipline case._

Despite the rocky first impression, Shiro was still going to help him. He believed that Keith had a fire inside him, and that if he was given a proper chance and the correct outlets, he could be something incredible someday.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I had to write something about Keith's dad and how Keith has a fire inside him. ;)


	3. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and the Red Lion go together like a good, classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She doesn't want to let him go, but there isn't another option. She just wished she could have stopped him from leaving. 
> 
> [Not romantic / No ship]

She could feel that he was near. She wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but she imagined that he would be similar to King Alfor. A kind leader, strong willed, trusting in his instincts… When she saw the small, young human come running into the hanger she chuckled to herself.

_This tiny thing? He’ll have to prove himself._

She didn’t immediately open up to him. Despite knowing that he already had enough of a bond with her to pilot her, she wasn’t keen on letting just anyway take control. He needed

"It's me. Keith. Your buddy. It's me! Keeeeeeiiiiith, your—I. AM. YOUR. PALADIN!"

_Not yet._

"I'm bonding with you! Hey! Come on! We're connected!"

_Prove yourself, Keith._

He was more than a capable fighter, but she wanted to see what he would do. He could tire himself out by fighting every soldier that came his way, but that would bring about the risk of him faltering. What would he do to quickly win this fight? Of course, she wouldn’t let him die; they still had a long journey ahead of them. She wasn’t just going to just swoop in to his rescue, though.

“You're not getting this lion!"

He’s briefly knocked back, but rebounds and activates the airlock switch. It got the job done, however, it was a very impulsive decision. Now he was also at risk of being thrown out into space. She could work with it.

She jumped to take Keith through her mouth and into the cockpit, before he was caught by a Galra ship or more soldiers.

"Good kitty. Let's roll."

She purred and let him take control.

 

* * *

 

She, along with the other lions, knew that Shiro’s body was dead and his consciousness was inside of the black lion. They couldn’t directly communicate with the Humans or Alteans, but they all had faith they would discover Shiro when the time was right.

None of them were keen on accepting a new paladin except for Black. Red could tell it was Shiro influencing her, but she had to agree that it should be Keith. Keith, however, was stubborn. If only he knew there was no way for them to find Shiro yet. Even if they did find him, there was nothing they’d be able to do to save him. When Keith was forced to attempt to form a bond with Black, of course it worked. The other’s were cute in their attempts, but she thinks they all knew it was going to be Keith.

She was now, however, without a paladin. She and Blue shared a knowing look. Lance had so desperately wanted to be chosen by Black, but had been ready to accept Keith as their knew leader. His skills as a pilot were not as polished as Keith’s, but she would work with him. He respects Keith as a pilot and isn’t afraid to speak his mind, at least most of the time. His obvious feelings for Allura were apparently a taboo subject to broach with him, but that was none of Red’s business.

Regardless, with their current resources, the best course of action was to leave Green and Yellow and they were, move Keith to Black, move Lance to Red, and have Allura take over in Blue. They’d manage.

Somehow.

 

* * *

 

This new “Shiro” that had joined the team was about to cause a problem. A very, _very_ serious problem. Keith’s desire to dive deeper into his Galra heritage and train with the Blade of Marmora is beneficial, but with the paladins believing that they had Shiro back, there was nothing stopping him from staying with them permanently. There was tension among the paladins, and Keith hadn’t figured out how to properly be a leader yet. Red had no doubts that he would get there, but at this point it seemed like he was done trying.

She was hurting. Lance had come a long way in their short time together so far, but Keith was meant to be her paladin. Black being forced to allow Shiro's clone to pilot her was the final push Keith needed. There were five lions and six possible paladins. Keith announced he would rather go on months-long mission with the Blade.

No one stopped him. And just like that, both he and the remaining bond he still had with her was gone.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only I'd just written Hunk and Keith bonding and baking together that would have been cute and fluffy, but no, I had to go and write something sad.


	4. Garrison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and James make out in a closet and Keith overthinks things.
> 
> [Keith / James Griffin]

Keith had no idea how he ended up making out with _James Griffin_ in a janitor’s closet, but that’s what was happening in his life right now. James had just grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pushed him into the closet, and kissed him, hard. Keith was stunned, but he couldn’t say he really minded. Despite the snide remarks James would make toward him and the almost aggressive rivalry they had, he had to admit that the boy was pretty attractive. Keith wouldn’t admit that he had a bit of a crush, but he definitely had a bit of a crush.

James broke the kiss, but before he could have any sort of reaction, Keith shoved him against the wall and started again. “Don’t start something you don’t plan on finishing,” he whispered between kisses.

It was a good thing the Garrison didn’t have any rules about relationships. Even though it was a prestigious flight training school they didn’t stop their students from dating. Not that he and James were dating, of course. If anyone caught them, however, that’s certainly what they would think. At least they’d only get scolded for being inside a janitor’s closet and not in one of their rooms.

The two of them were fighting for control of the kiss, as they seemed to do with every other aspect of their lives. Keith consistently came out on top when it came to simulators and exams, but James seemed to be winning this one. Keith didn’t know how much experience James had with making out, but he seemed to have a better idea of how to do it. Keith let James change their position so that he was now up against the wall. He whimpered and James smirked.

“Looks like we found something I’m better at.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

 

* * *

 

It was only about another 10 minutes before they were caught, and by Takashi Shirogane no less. Apparently they weren’t as quiet as they thought they were. More accurately, Keith was not as quiet as he thought he was.

Shiro was understanding, and thankfully decided not to report it. They wouldn’t be punished too badly, but if they could avoid simulator cleaning duty, they were grateful. He awkwardly joked about how he and Adam had done similar at the start of their relationship.

“Sorry, Shiro. It won’t happen again,” Keith apologized.

“He means we won’t get caught again,” James nudged him and winked. Shiro laughed, a little uncomfortably.

“Alright, well. Try to keep it to your rooms.”

Keith was as red as the apples they had in the cafeteria at lunch earlier. He just nodded and walked off, hoping neither one of them would follow him.

Did James want to date him? Did he just want it to be a thing where they make out sometimes? Did Keith even want anything like this? He hadn’t come to the Garrison to do anything but fly. Even though it was allowed, wouldn’t a relationship distract him? Was that what James was after?

Keith made it back to his room and locked the door behind him. His roommate was out, thankfully, so he had time to just pace around and think.

There was a knock on his door.

“Keith? Keith, it’s James.”

“What?” he snapped.

“I’m sorry. We… I shouldn’t have forced you.”

“Obviously I didn’t mind.”

“R-Right… Me, too,” his voice was barely audible. Keith didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t respond. “I’ll... go. See you in class, tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Tomorrow.”

James invited Keith to his room a few times a week. Keith almost always went, unless he actually had something else to do. They continued whatever it was they were doing until Keith was thrown out of the Garrison about a year later. He never saw James after that, but Keith was fine with that. Their relationship wasn’t anything serious, anyway.

When Keith came back to Earth with Voltron years later James cried. Seeing Keith again hurt more than believing he was dead in the desert. He had wanted something so much more with the now Black Paladin when they were younger cadets. He’d thought they could have been the next “Adam and Shiro.” Now, he wasn’t so sure Keith even remembered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is entirely self indulgent and I have no regrets.


	5. Forget Me Not (Florist AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith owns a flower shop. A familiar face comes in for a bouquet. 
> 
> [Keith/Pidge and minor Lance/Allura]

“Be with you in a moment!” Keith shouted from the back of his store. The bell attached to the door lightly swayed back and forth for a few seconds after it had been opened. Keith finished positioning the flower in the bouquet he was working on before removing his  gloves and heading to the front of the store.

The customer was short and wore round glasses that were almost bigger than her head. He hair was short and disheveled and she wore a pale green shirt with overalls and converse. Keith tilted his head, as if he was trying to figure out how he knew this girl. She looked so familiar, but he couldn't place it. Asking her would make it sound like he was about to hit on her. She was definitely really, really pretty, but he wasn't about to scare off a customer. Staring at her this much was probably already rude, so he snapped out of it.

“Sorry to make you wait. How can I help you?” He greeted.

“No worries. I think I found something,” she paused and smiled, turning slightly to point at the flowers on display about three feet from the entrance, “I’m looking for a small bouquet for my brother. He just got a pretty big promotion at his job, so something to say congratulations, but nothing that’s too emotional because ew feelings. I like those pink ones in the front but I’m not sure what would go with them and mean what I’m hoping for. I have about a $30 budget, so I’m not looking for anything huge.”

“The stargazer lilies? Those are good for congratulations. I’ll pull up what I have in stock and see what I can find for you,” he motioned for her to follow him to the front desk, where he pulled out the catalog. He flipped through for a moment before turning it so the girl could look. “These will all get across a good luck, but if you’re looking for something on the simpler side I’d recommend just a bouquet of the lilies and some jasmine to fill the gaps. If you’ll be picking it up yourself it’ll only set you back $20. Delivery will bring it up to $30.”

She nodded, “Perfect! I’ll pick them up when it’s done.”

“Do you need them later today or?”

“Tomorrow, if that’s alright. I’m meeting him for lunch at one.”

“Tomorrow is fine. I’ll make it tomorrow morning then, so it’s fresher.”

She paid the deposit and went on her way, leaving Keith to wonder where he had seen her before.

 

* * *

 

Keith had finished the girl from yesterday’s bouquet about an hour after he made it to the shop the next morning. He called and left her a message letting her know they were ready to be picked up and mentioned when he’d be closing the shop for lunch. He continued working on his larger commission for his friend’s wedding, and he heard the door slam open, the bell  jingling loudly.

“GOOD MORNING KEITHY, KEITH!” He heard his friend, Lance, shout.

“Could you not break my door everytime you walk in here?”

“But then how would you immediately know it’s me?”

“You’re ridiculous. You wanna see the progress?” he asked. He had no idea how this idiot had managed to find someone who wanted to put up with him for the rest of his life, but Keith was happy for him. Although, Allura was a literal saint for being able to not only tolerate Lance, but reel him in when he got a little too wild. They worked well and were good for each other.

“Yes, please!”

Neither Lance nor Allura were nit-picky about the flowers for their wedding. They trusted Keith to give them something that would represent both of them, their love, and be extremely beautiful, of course. Their wedding was a little over a week away, so Keith wanted to make sure he had everything planned out perfectly for them. Lance snapped a few pictures to send to Allura for her input. They returned to the front of the store while waiting for her response, so Keith could jot anything she had to say down in his notebook.

The girl from yesterday walked in, three coffees in hand. “Pidge!” Lance’s face lit up, “A blessing from Starbucks herself.” The girl, Pidge, rolled her eyes and shoved one of the coffees into his hand.

“Lance texted me and told me what to get you. It’s his fault if you don’t like it.”

Keith was lost.

So very, very lost.

“Uh. Thanks?” He took his coffee from her and took a sip. At least Lance had actually told her to get what he liked and not something gross.

“Basic bitch Keith over here needs his pumpkin spice,” Lance teased, sticking his tongue out.

“You two know each other?”

They both look at him.

“Keith. Buddy. My man,” Lance swung his arm around the florist’s shoulders, “You literally know Pidge. Kaite Holt?”

“Uh.”

“I didn’t say anything yesterday because... well, it’s not important. I’m Matt’s sister. He works with Shiro. We’ve met a few times.” Keith was dumbfounded. “Um, but hey, I kinda have to get going. I’m meeting up with Matt soon.”

“Right. Let me get the bouquet for you,” he took the opportunity to run off to the back and take a second to process what had just happened. He searched through his memories, trying to figure out when he possibly could have met her.  

_Idiot. Fucking idiot._

He picked up her bouquet and headed back out. The exchange was awkward, to say the least. She thanked him, paid the rest, and headed out.

“Keith.”

“Lance”

“What the fuck? She’s literally a smaller and cuter version of Matt. ”

Keith could only shrug.

“Fix this. She’d never admit it, but she’s upset. She’s like a little sister to me, so help me, if you don’t fix this we will have words. And by words, I mean my foot will be so far up your ass that it might launch you to space. Does that make sense? No. Not at all. I don’t even care, I’m so mad at you right now. Fix this.”

“What?”

“Dude, I know you two barely know each other, but she kinda likes you. She’s interested in you. If I mention you she perks up. Talk to her,” Lance demanded before storming out of the flower shop. He had her phone number. It completely went against policy, but he owned the place. He could figure this out. 

 

* * *

 

 **From Keith [1:30 PM]:** You’re probably still with Matt

 **From Keith [1:30 PM]:** But I just wanted to say I’m so sorry.

 **From Keith [1:31 PM]:** I’m kinda

 **From Keith [1:31 PM]:** An idiot.

 **From Keith [1:31 PM]:** I would like to see you again, though.

 **From Keith [1:31 PM]:** If you don’t hate me already.

 **From Keith [1:31 PM]:** I made this. For you.

 **From Keith [1:32 PM]:** [IMAGE]

 

 **From Pidge [1:50 PM]:** Forget Me Nots? Really? Purple roses?  

 **From Pidge [1:50 PM]:** I looked up their meanings. So you’re aware.

 **From Pidge [1:50 PM]:** That’s so cheesey. Ew.

 **From Pidge [1:50 PM]:** You’re taking me out for coffee. Tomorrow. What time do you close?

 

 **From Keith [1:51 PM]:** 4pm

  
**From Pidge [1:51 PM]:** It’s a date.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Pidge with a crush is lowkey my guilty pleasure. 
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. I kinda edit these very quickly before I post them and then notice mistakes once it's too late lmao. I'll fix 'em when I see 'em, though. 
> 
> Pink Stargazer Lilies: "prosperity and success"  
> Jasmine: "good luck"  
> Lavender Roses: "love at first sight or an enchanting 'I love you'"  
> Forget Me Nots: another romantic flower, but I mostly just used these for their name.


	6. Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Keith after he was expelled from the Garrison?
> 
> [mention of past Adam/Shiro, and Keith has a crush on Shiro if you squint]

Despite his expulsion from the Galaxy Garrison, luck was on Keith’s side. He knew the desert like he knew the back of his hand. He would have been fine with just the speeder he’d stolen, but he had help finding a place to semi-permanently take shelter. He didn’t know how long it would be before he decided to make his way to figure his life out in a nearby city, but while he could afford to, he wanted to live freely under the desert sky. The closeness to the Garrison would also allow him to quickly take action if there was any news of the Kerberos team. They claimed the three men had died, but Keith refused to believe it. Takashi Shirogane was the most talented pilot the country had ever seen. He wouldn’t make such a trivial mistake.

Shiro’s ex-fiance, Adam, was the one who led him to a small, abandoned shack he could use. He didn’t know who owned it or what it had been used for, but he and Shiro used to use it when they wanted to stargaze and then watch the sunrise in the morning.

He picked up odd jobs here and there from people living in nearby towns. Keith was capable enough that he could change the oil in someone’s car or do some yard work. He didn’t have bills to pay, so he really just needed enough money to keep himself fed without depleting his savings. He knew he’d have to eventually move into a more populated area, but he was happy to live like this for as long as he could.

For as long as it took him to figure out what the Galaxy Garrison was hiding.

The speeder wasn’t the only thing he’d stolen from them. He had some equipment and could listen to radio chatter. He wasn’t extremely savvy, but he figured out how to get what he wanted. “Voltron” was a word he heard repeated frequently. Whatever this “voltron” was, someone was looking for it and having trouble finding it. Keith wanted to find it first. It was a long shot, but he felt like it was a step closer to finding out what had actually happened to Shiro and his two crew members.

Adam thought Keith’s “conspiracy board,” as he called it, was crazy. He never said it, but the look on his face every time he came by was the only confirmation Keith needed. He probably went back to the Garrison and told the other faculty that the kid they expelled was absolutely bonkers.

Keith had never really liked Adam. Adam had continuously insisted that Shiro not go on the Kerberos mission, despite the fact that he knew it was Shiro’s dream. Shiro’s choice. _How could he be so selfish?_ He wasn’t going to allow Adam to use him as a way to make himself feel like Shiro would forgive him. _Of course Shiro would forgive him either way. He was so goddamn in love._ Keith was reluctant to admit it to himself, and would never do so out loud to others, but he was jealous.

He tried to cut Adam out of his life as much as he could. He’d frequently spend time away from the shack, hoping that Adam would decide to make his visit while he was away. He saw the car parked outside once, but turned around and drove the speeder for a few more hours. He hadn’t seen any trace of Adam since then.

Keith hadn’t made much progress on finding “voltron,” but he couldn’t say he was unhappy. It got a little lonely sometimes, but an evening spent at a diner or cafe in one of the small towns satisfied his need for non-work related human contact. He would say a lot of the elderly people he did work for were almost friends, but he didn’t really see them unless they needed him. Keith didn’t mind that, although he did enjoy the small talk and pointless conversation.

The night that changed his life came about half a year after he’d moved into the shack. The radio chatter was completely off the charts, and “voltron” was heard more times than ever. He heard something flying overhead, but when he stepped outside to check, it looked like the craft was actually in the process of crash landing. Quickly, he hopped onto his speeder and followed it. He could see Garrison vehicles do the same, but the desert was Keith’s territory. They may get to the craft first, but Keith would win this one.

Whatever key that ship had to finding “voltron” and eventually finding Shiro would end up in his hands.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a day late on this one ;w; 
> 
> This prompt really didn't inspire me, but I'm not mad at where I went with it.


	7. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place some time between Shiro's disappearance and the team meets Shiro's clone. 
> 
> After the stress of switching lions and being outsmarted by Lotor, the stressed out paladins take a day off. Having been locked out of the training room, Keith finds himself in the kitchen.
> 
> [Not romantic / No ship]

The castle was unusually quiet. Allura had declared that everyone should just take the day to themselves because there was too much tension between them after their mishap with Lotor. Keith believed she was targeting him specifically. It had been his mistakes that had almost cost them everything.

This was fine; he would just have to work through his thoughts by beating the ever loving crap out of the training bots. He nearly walked into the door, barely noticing the note attached to it in Allura’s handwriting.

_ NO COMBAT TRAINING PERMITTED UNTIL TOMORROW. _

Keith wasn’t sure what to do with himself. They were at war, how could Allura ban them from wanting to get stronger? Granted, Keith was likely the only one who would want to fight robots on their day off, but it was something he genuinely liked. 

He started walking back toward his bedroom, but stopped as he passed by the kitchen. 

_ If Hunk can figure out how to cook… _

Keith kept it to himself that he was able to cook. Cooking was Hunk’s thing, and he didn’t want to take that from the yellow paladin, but Hunk was not currently in the kitchen. Keith could probably whip something up before anyone noticed. 

Hid dad had taught him when he was younger. Actually, cooking with his dad was one of the last memories he had. They had woken up early and made pancakes  _ that  _ morning before his dad left for work and Keith was dropped off at school. He frowned, thinking of his last moments with his father. 

Keith wanted to eat his feelings in pancakes. How hard could it be to make space pancakes?

The answer was “about as difficult as training level 6.”

They had milk thanks to a combined effort from Lance and Kaltenecker. If they had something like a lemon, he could make buttermilk. Buttermilk was a good start and a vital pancake ingredient. Nothing in the fridge (was it even a fridge?) was labeled and nothing even looked remotely similar to a lemon. He guessed if he just tried a little piece of everything he could eventually figure out what he could use instead. The fifth piece of fruit (he guessed these were close enough to fruits) was pretty close to what he was looking for, so he set it aside and looked around for anything else he could test out.  

He hadn’t gotten much further before Lance walked by and screamed. “KEITH!” he stomped closer, “Look, of all the things you could have possibly chosen to do today the absolute last thing I would have expected from you was messing with Hunk’s domain. C’mon, man, Hunk is like the most lovable person on team Voltron.” 

“I’m… not messing with it. I’m going to cook?”

“You can’t come up with a more believable lie?” Lance smirked.

“Why is it so surprising that I know how to cook? I lived on my own in the desert for half a year.”

Lance stared at him and couldn’t come up with something witty before Allura, Pidge, and Hunk joined them.

“Lance, what are you screaming about?” Allura sighed. 

“Woah, wait a minute. Keith,” Hunk stepped in, eyeing the milk and the strange looking purple and orange fruit-thing, “Are… are you making something?”

He nodded, “Pancakes. That fruit is kinda like a lemon in taste. Step one was making buttermilk.”

Hunks eyes sparkled. “Say no more. Let me help you get what you need.”

Pidge shrugged and took a seat at one of the counters. “I’m down for some pancakes. Space pancakes. Any pancake that I don’t have to make.”

Allura smiled and took a seat beside her, “I’m also interested in these ‘pancakes.’”

Lance was outnumbered and a little peeved that there wasn’t a place for him to really help out. He took a seat by Allura and Pidge and begrudgingly watched his best friend and Keith cook. 

The two of them actually worked really well together. Hunk found that he didn’t have to explain every little step and Keith was good at remembering which space ingredient went with which earth counterpart. Hunk definitely enjoyed being able to trust someone else to do some of the work and not make a complete disaster of the kitchen. Needless to say, cooking with Lance or Pidge was too much chaos for him to handle. 

“Since when do you cook, Keith?” Hunk asked, the genuine curiosity apparent in his voice. 

“Ten years or so?” he shrugged, “My dad taught me the basics and I picked up a lot on my own later.” 

“Is he a chef?”

“He was a firefighter. It was just me and him, so he had to cook. He taught me enough before h-” Keith stopped whisking the batter for a second before he caught himself and continued, silently.

“Keith?” Hunk stepped a little closer. Allura and Lance gave him a confused look and Pidge squinted, as if she already knew what he was going to say. 

“...Before he died.” No one knew what to say to that. How could they? They weren’t supposed to know anything about Keith’s history. He set the bowl down. “It’s ready.”

Hunk grabbed his arm, gently, but firmly, before he could walk off. “I don’t know what you want us to say, but you don’t want pity. Stay and help me finish making these and then stay and enjoy them with us.” 

Keith actually smiled. Pidge got up from her seat and pulled him into a hug. Hunk followed suit and soon enough, Lance and Allura were in on it too. He hadn’t realized how much he needed this. Little did he knew, they needed it, too. 

He wished he could tell these four (and Coran, of course) how much they all meant to him, but it would definitely get too weird. He may not have any biological family in his life anymore, but he found his family in Voltron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. LOVE. THIS. TEAM. SO. MUCH.


	8. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Under the stars in the middle of the desert, a proposal is made. 
> 
> [Keith/Shiro]

 

Keith only thought fondly of the stars. Growing up, he spent late nights stargazing with his father, and from then on dreamed of one day being able to venture out into space. His dream was forgotten when he entered the foster system. 

But then Shiro sparked his desire to explore the cosmos years later. 

And then it all came crumbling down. 

Until, like a falling star, Shiro came back and suddenly they were off to a faraway galaxy.

Needless to say, Keith had stopped dreaming a long time ago. After so many chanced had been given to him and then taken from him no matter how hard he worked, he decided it would be better to focus on the moment. Living impulsively was better than chasing something that would always be out of reach.

He tried not to dream of peace, but now the war against the Galra Empire was won and no new threats had surfaced. He hated being constantly on edge, waiting for something to ruin everything. There hadn’t been a reason for him to fly the Black Lion in a few months. He missed it, but he knew it needed to stay in the hanger for research. If he was desperate to fly Black again, he was sure Sam Holt would let him, but riding the Garrison’s speeders through the desert was enough for now. Keith never thought he’d find himself living at the Garrison after his expulsion, but all the paladins were given living space. Lance and Hunk preferred to stay with their families, Pidge’s family had all moved into the Garrison so she lived with them and used her room as a more private workspace, and Keith lived with Shiro. 

Somewhere down the line, the two of them started dating. 

There hadn’t been an exact moment when they made their relationship official. Ever since settling back into life on Earth, it had just sort of fallen into place. It just felt right. Like that’s just how things were supposed to be. 

They moved between their Garrison housing and the old shack Keith took over in the desert pretty frequently. Neither one of them wanted to be confined within the Garrison campus for long periods of time, so they’d spend the weekends living in the shack. It was quiet and serene, unlike the fast pace living in a training facility. While the time of peace lasted, Keith and Shiro intended to take full advantage of the time they had to just spend existing.

* * *

 

 

Tonight, the sky was clear and the moon was full. Stars littered the sky and the desert was nearly silent. Keith and Shiro sat on the roof of the shack, leaning into each other and looking up. 

“You know... “ Shiro’s voice was soft, “Watching the stars from space is nothing like watching them from Earth.”

“Which do you like more?”

“Wherever I’m stargazing with you.”

Keith punched his shoulder playfully, “You’re such a gross sap.”

They sat for what felt like hours longer, unsure of how much time had actually passed. The had no obligations tomorrow, so they were likely going to sit on the shoddy roof until they could barely keep their eyes open. Every so often they’d steal glances at one another, followed by stealing kisses. There was nothing Keith wanted more than moments like this. 

“Keith?” 

“Yeah, Shiro?” 

“I love you.”

He smiled and let out a small laugh, “I know. I love you, too.”

Shiro hesitated before saying more, “What would you say if I asked you to marry me?” Keith’s face went as red as the first lion he piloted. 

“I’d,” he looked down, “Obviously, I’d say yes.”

“Really?” 

“Only if you had a ring,” he joked, trying to make light of the implication that Shiro may very well be planning on proposing. What he hadn’t expected was for Shiro to pull a small box out of his pocket right this very moment.  

“Will you marry me?” he flipped open the box to revel a plain silver band. 

Keith stopped trying to hold back his tears and pulled Shiro into a hug. “I can’t imagine saying no.” 

Shiro held him close, placing the ring carefully back into his pocket to make sure he wouldn’t lose it. He’d place it on Keith’s finger later. He kissed away the tears, then gently pressed their lips together. They were more focused on each other than they were on the stars, but there would be plenty more time to stargaze. They had the rest of their lives ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meh.
> 
> not super happy with this one, but im exhausted and behind ;w;


End file.
